Water heater



April 17, 1934. L. RICHARDSON WATER HEATER Filed Aug. 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. i Z 0 BY 4 Momma April 17, 1934. L. RICHARDSON WATER HEATER Filed Aug. 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NM Rx Q Q Q Q m\ QMM Q\ m\@ w%% W &\ QM *9, M an c\o\ r c ooaoomvwogwoockawwooao \M \W 8 \M 3 MM wN N kw w .m\ \M MN MN I I I 1 I I I l I 1 l I I l l I 1 l l 1 l II %N M m Patented Apr. 17, I934 uNiTso STATES PATEN' or ies WATER HEATER Lawrence Richardson, Melros'e, Mass-.-

Application August 30, 1930, Serial No. 478,867

19 Claims. (Cl. 122434) This invention relates to water heaters and from the turbine passes, through pipe 9, intd more particularly to locomotive feed water heatmain exhaust conduit which leads from the ers; and is especially applicable to, and useful valve chest 11 to the flexible connection 12 bein connection with heating water in, the tenders tween engine and tender. A cross-connection 13 of locomotives, such an embodiment of the inmay be provided to connect the exhaust cavities f vention being hereinafter disclosed by me. of the two valve-chests of the locomotive. Flex- One of the primary objects of the invention is ible connection 12 is, in turn, coupled to the to improve locomotive feed Water heating gensteam pipe 14 leading to the heater in the tender. erally and to utilize to the full the exhaust steam The Water connections to the p p 4 are y Way of the locomotive proper and of its auxiliaries, 01" the Water outlet or withdrawal pipe 15, flexible and more especially to accomplish these ends connection 16, pipe 17 and strainer 18. Leaving by an improved form of storage heater. he pump, the water passes through pipe 19 and Other objects involve: the substantial reduccheck valve 20 into the boiler 21. tion of the weight of feed water heating equip- The main tank or body 22 of tender 3 is diment generally; the reduction or elimination of vided by partitions 23 into a series of chambers such weight on the engine unit of the locomotive; 25, 6 and Co d s a y from the a substantial simplification in, and reduction of et 28 t0 t e Outlet 15, said chambers havin first and maintenance costs of, the heater itself Communicati as y means of p s 29 V-, and the steam, water and condensate connections ered y fl p Valves 30 Which y be ounted and lines thereto and. therefrom. 0n p s 31 o such p s u a t insure the Still another object is to heat and/or store feed Closure of gates ValVes 30 t permit p water in progressive stages or at progressive teming thereof un the influence of forward surges, peratures, and especially by progressive or steps1ight pressure head, of water in the tender by-step utilization of the steam or other heating I ut this cohstluetish as a means, first, medium, and further to accomplish this in a a i g the C a Of W second, for tender heater while still preserving a volume insuring hat the Wa W W gradually, of the water therein sufilciently cold to be hanfrom the ma C pa as used, died by th usual injector i case of feed pump cessively through the others to the withdrawal failurg compartment; and third, for maintaining the Other objects and advantages, as to features hottest Water w y in t Outlet Compartment, of construction and operation will appear hereand s p-by-step, cool Water in the Others, 50 inaftep that there is a progressive replenishment of the How the foregoing, together with such addihot Water d p d used, y oler Water. tional objects and advantages as may be incident It may here be se v d that the p to the invention, are attained will be clear from ments am rs a s of p r ss v ly the following description, taken together with smaller p y, e C ess-Sectional area of the the accompanying drawings, in which drawings: tender tank diminishing toward the forward or Figure 1 is a, somewhat diagrammatic, broken outlet end, by virtue Of the (303,1 fiOOI 32, so that out, side elevational view of the engine of a 1000- the Outlet (hottest) Compartment 1 chamber is motive embodying my invention; really a substantially U-shaped water containant,

Figure 2 is a vertical, longitudinal section the leg of the U being the space 33 beneath the through the tender of the same locomotive, with Coal deckcertain parts shown in elevation and others dia- NOW it Will be evident t at, as the water works grammatically; and 7 toward the forward end of the tender, provision Figure 3 is a fragmentary section similar to must be m for v t g air in the chambers so the upper portion of Figure 2, but illustrating a as to prevent the building p Of such p essure modification of a part of the construction. therein as would too greatly restrict the admission By reference t th drawings, it will appear of water through valves 30. I have devised two that I have illustrated a locomotive having an Way 0f doing this- In there will be seen engine 2, and a, tender 3 in which I have emb di d a series of conduits or pipes 34, each one of which the present invention. The engine of the 1000- eXtends frem a point heal" the p of e c0mmotive is equipped with a centrifugal water pump partmeht a point adjacent the bottom of the e driven by a turbine 5, steam being delivered to proximate rearward compartment, the rearmostthe turbine, as from a turret (not shown), compartment 24 being in communication with through pipe 6, valve 7 and pipe 8. The exhaust atmosphere by virtue of the inlet 28. Alternatively, as seen in Fig. 3, I provide small conduits 34a individually venting the several compartments to the atmosphere. While the latter device is slightly simpler, I prefer the former, as there is combined with it an added useful function, to wit: steam or heated air passing up through the water in any given chamber is taken off by pipe 34 at a point above the water level and, under its own pressure, discharges into the adjacent rearward chamber beneath the water level, thereby fully utilizing heat therein and also avoiding any possibility of discharging excess steam into the atmosphere which is obviously objectionable in railroad operation.

The heating unit, proper, is extremely simple, comprising, at it does, merely an extension 140. of pipe 14, lying substantially along the floor of the tender tank and extending through all but the rearmost of the partitions or walls 23. This pipe or conduit 14a has a closure cap 14b at its rear end, and has, in the several compartments, perforations or holes 14c, 14d and 14e, respectively. It should here be observed that the crosssectional area of the steam outlets is made progressively smaller in each chamber serially rearward, either by making the apertures or holes smaller, or, as here shown, by making them fewer in number. The effect of this arrangement, coupled with the fact that there is naturally greater resistance to the steam flow in proportion to the greater length of travel through the pipe, is to cause the greatest discharge of steam into chamber 27 and, step-by-step, less discharge into each of chambers 26 and 25, no steam being delivered into chamber 24 (with the exception,

possibly, of a small quantity through the last vent-pipe 34) so that the latter chamber has a relatively cold body of water therein suitable for use in the usual injector (not shown) in case of pump failure.

From the foregoing it will be evident that by my invention the weight, complication, first cost, and expense of inspection, repair and maintenance of feed water heating equipment is very materially reduced as compared with prior known devices; that a heating and segregation of the water by stages, or progressively, is attained in a very simple and effective manner; that the exhaust steam is utilized to the fullest extent, and especially so in the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which each chamber is vented to the next cooler chamber; that the tender itself is utilized as the heater in an extremely simple manner and with the addition of a minimum of additional apparatus; that the invention may be almost as readily applied to existing as to new equipment; and that, in general, the objects stated at the head of this specification are realized by a simple, inexpensive and rugged construction.

What I claim is:

1. A locomotive feed water heater including a plurality of water containing chambers, and means for delivering steam into the heater including a conduit extending into a plurality of chambers, and outlet means in the conduit in each of the said chambers, the said steam delivery means being so arranged that more steam is delivered into one chamber than into another.

2. A locomotive feed water heater including a plurality of water containing chambers, and means for delivering steam into the heater including a conduit extending into a plurality of chambers, and outlet means in the conduit in each of the said chambers, said outlet means.

being of greater effective capacity in one chamber than in another.

3. A locomotive feed water heater divided into a plurality of chambers disposed in a horizontal series, means providing substantially horizontal flow of water from one chamber to another substantially in one direction only, and means for delivering heating steam to chambers of the heater in different quantities respectively.

4. A locomotive feed water heater divided into a plurality of chambers disposed in a horizontal series, means providing substantially horizontal flow of water from one chamber to another substantially in one direction only, and means for delivering heating steam to chambers of the heater and in greater quantities to that chamber into which water flows from another.

5. A locomotive feed water heater divided into a plurality of chambers disposed in a horizontal series, means providing substantially horizontal flow of water from one chamber to another substantially in one direction only, and means for delivering heating steam to chambers of the heater and in greater quantities to that chamber into which water flows from another, together with means for taking water from the receiving or hottest chamber and delivering it to a point of use.

6. A locomotive feed water heater divided into a plurality of chambers disposed in a horizontal series, means providing substantially horizontal flow of water from one chamber to another substantially in one direction only, and means for delivering heating steam to chambers of the heater, together with means for venting one chamber to another in a direction opposite to the flow of water.

7. A locomotive feed water heater divided into a plurality of chambers disposed in a horizontal series, means providing substantially horizontal flow of water from one chamber to another substantially in one direction only, and means for delivering heating steam to chambers of the heater, together with means for venting one chamber to another in a direction opposite to the flow of water, said vent means including means for carrying excess steam from a hotter chamber to a cooler chamber.

8. A locomotive feed water heater divided into a plurality of chambers, means whereby flow of water from one chamber to another may take place substantially in one direction only, and a pipe for supplying heating steam to the heater extending into a plurality of chambers of the heater, and having a different number of outlet holes in diiferent chambers.

9. A locomotive tender storage heater having a plurality of compartments disposed in a horizontal series; a tender water inlet to one compartment; means whereby water may pass successively from said compartment to the others, serially; means for delivering water from the last of the said series of compartments into the locomotive boiler, and means for passing heating steam into the water in all except the first-identified compartment in progressively decreasing amounts in serial order reverse to the order of Water-flow.

10. A locomotive feed water heater comprising a series of water storage compartments, means for conveying steam into a plurality of compartments to heat the water therein, means of substantially horizontal communication between the compartments for effecting flow of water serially from one compartment to another under the influence of surging of the water induced by movements of the locomotive and for restricting reverse flow, and outlet means for taking heated water from the last compartment of the series.

11. A locomotive feed water heater comprising a series of water storage compartments, means for conveying steam into a plurality of compart ments to heat the water therein, means of substantially horizontal communication between the compartments for effecting flow of water serially from one compartment to another under the in fluence of surging of the water induced by movements of the locomotive and for restricting reverse fiow, and outlet means for taking heated water from the last compartment of the series, said means for effecting how in one direction and restricting opposite flow including partitions with one-way gate means therein.

12. A locomotive feed water heater comprising a series of water storage compartments; means for conveying steam into a plurality of compartments to heat the water therein, means of substantially horizontal communication between the compartments for effecting flow of water serially from one comparment to another under the influence of surging of the water induced by movements of the locomotive and for restricting reverse flow, and outlet means for taking heated water from the last compartment'of the series, said means for eiiecting flow in one direction and restricting opposite flow including partitions with one-way gate means therein and vent means for each compartment.

13. A locomotive feed water heater comprising a series of water storage compartments, means for conveying steam into a plurality of compartments to heat the water therein, means of substantially horizontal communication between the compartments for effecting flow of water serially from one compartment to another under the influence of surging of the water induced by movements of the locomotive and for restricting reverse flow, and outlet means for taking heated water from the last compartment of the series, said steam conveying means including means for heating the water to progressively greater degrees in the several compartments in the said serial order.

14. A locomotive tender construction including a horizontally elongated tank and a plurality of compartments disposed therein in a horizontal series; a tender Water inlet to one compartment; means whereby water may pass successively from said compartment to the others, serially; means for delivering water from the last of the said series of compartments into the locomotive boiler, and means for passing heating steam into the water in all except the first-identified compartment in progressively decreasing amounts in serial order reverse to the order of water-flow, together with means for inter-venting all the compartments in the serial order of the heating.

15. A locomotive tender includinga horizontally elongated water tank divided into a horizontal series of compartments, means providing substantially horizontal communication serially between the several compartments, whereby to provide for a substantially horizontal and serial flow of water from one compartment to the next under the influence of surging of the water induced by movements of the locomotive, means for restricting serial flow of water between said compartments in one direction, and means for conveying steam into a plurality of compartments to heat the water therein.

16. A locomotive tender including a horizontally elongated Water tank divided into a horizontal series of compartments, means providing substantially horizontal communication serially between the several compartments, whereby to provide for a substantially horizontal and serial flow of water from one compartment to the next under the influence of surging of the water induced by movements of the locomotive, means for restricting serial flow or" water between said compartments in one direction, means for conveying steam into a plurality of compartments to heat the water therein, and means for relieving pressure from above the water in one compartment to a point below the water level in another compartment.

17. A locomotive tender construction including a horizontally elongated water tank and a plurality of compartments therein arranged in a substantially horizontal series, means for introducing steam into a plurality of compartments to heat the water therein, and means for eilecting a substantially horizontal flow of water serially from one compartment to another under the infiuence of surging of the water induced by movements of the locomotive and for restricting reverse now.

18. A locomotive tender construction including a horizontally elongated water tank and a plurality of compartments therein arranged in a substantially horizontal series, means for introducing steam into a plurality of compartments to heat the water therein, and means for efieoting a substantially horizontal flow of water serially from one compartment to another under the infiuence of surging of the water induced by movements of the locomotive and for restricting reverse fiow, together with means providing for venting of the space above the Water in one compartment to another compartment below the water level therein in reverse flow with respect to the direction of water flow.

19. A locomotive tender construction including a horizontally elongated water tank and a plurality of compartments therein arranged in a substantially horizontal series, means for introducing steam into a plurality of compartments to heat the water therein, and means for effecting a substantially horizontal flow of water serially from one compartment to another under the influence of surging of the water induced by movements of the locomotive and for restricting reverse fiow, the means for introducing steam into a plurality of compartments including means for heating the water to progressively greater degrees in the several compartments in the said serial order.

LAWRENCE RICHARDSON. 

